Leaf cutting mechanism



March 14, 1944. H. H. WHEELER LEAF CUTTING MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HENRY H.WHEELER w/W ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 14, 1944 2,343,946 LEAF CUTTING MECHANISM Henry H. Wheeler, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New Jersey Original application December 3, 1938, Serial No.

243,799. Divided and this application November 14, 1941, Serial No. 419,130

3 Claims.

This invention relates to cigar machines, more particularly to mechanisms for cutting sections from leaf tobacco spread on the die of a cutting bed. The main object is to provide improved leaf cutting means and the present application constitutes a division of my application, Serial No. 243,799, filed December 3, 1938 which issued June 16, 1942, as Patent No. 2,287.004.

A further object is to provide an improved mounting for the binder cutting rolls whereby they may be supported in suitable oppositely inclined positions to simultaneously coact with opposite edges of the die for severance of a binder thereon and the inclination of said rolls may be adjusted. It wi11 be understood that the invention is not limited to the mounting of the binder cutting rolls selected to illustrate the invention, but also relates to the mounting of wrapper cutting rolls as well. In a broader sense, one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved mount for cigar machine cutting rolls whereby they may be supported on a shaft pass ing through the rolls and Whereon they may be adjusted into various inclinations relative to the cutting edge of the die.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter fully described and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like parts:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved mechanism, showing the cutter rolls at starting position and the binder transfer in receiving position, ready to convey the binder to the rolling apron;

Fig. 1a is a detail of the mounting of the cutter rolls in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the improved binder cutting means and its operating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, the binder leaf is served by an operator to one of the dies of an intermittently revolving duplex die turret H, such as disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial Number 183,405, filed January 5, 1938 and issued April 20, 1943, as Patent No. 2,316,828. After having made one-half revolution, the turret dwells and the binder B is cut from the served leaf by the rectilinear movement of the rollers l2, l3 across the die Hi5. Upon the return of the cutting rollers into initial position, the die head (not shown) ascends with the cut binder into contact with the bottom face of the'suction head M of the binder transfer (Fig. 1), which at that time is in receiving position above the die. At the moment of contact, the suction in the die head is cut off and suction in the transfer is turned on, thus transferring the binder from the die to the transfer head and holding it thereon while the same is moved along to its delivery position above the apron of the rolling table.

The binder cutting rolls i2, i3 are supported from a stud 20 (Figs. 1, '2 and 3) carried by a bracket 2: attached to a slide 22. The slide 22 is supported within a hollow rail 23 extending underneath the die turret head H and fastened to the bed 24 of the cigar machine by screws 25. The ends of the rail 23 are closed by cap pieces 28 and the slide 22 is provided with a recess 2'! communicating with an oil groove 28 for lubrication of the bearing surfaces 23. The slide 22 has lugs 36 in which is pivoted a link 3! connected to an arm 32 fulcrumed on a shaft 33 in the base of the machine. The arm 32 is connected by a link 34 with a bell crank 35 fulcrumed on a shaft 36 and having a roller 31 in engagement with the track 38 of a cam 39 mounted on the cam shaft 4! of the machine.

As the cam 39 revolves in the direction of the arrow, the roller 3! moves in the path 4! to the position 31, causing the bell crank 35 to assume the dotted position 35, thereby through link 34' turning the arm 32 along a path 42 and thus moving slide 22 with bracket 2| and rolls l2, 13 across the die turret I l.

The ball bearings 43 of cutting rollers I2, l3 (Fig. 1) are mounted on shafts 44, 45, which have a reduced portion on which the ball bearings are mounted, the axis of the reduced portion being eccentric to and inclined to the axis of the larger clamping portion (Fig. In), so that the rollers can be accurately adjusted to the desired inclination with respect to the cutting edge of the die. The ends of each of these shafts are concentric with one another, so that by turning them in their supports the inclination of the cutting rolls relative to the cutting edge of the die may be varied. The shaft 4.4 is clamped at each end in a bracket 46, having bearings 41 mounted on stud 20 and connected by a bridge arm 48, thereby providing a box formation which imparts rigidity to the same; and the shaft 45 is similarly supported by a bracket 49 having bearings mounted on stud 2i] and connected by an arm 5|. Between the bearings of each of the brackets 46 and 49 there are adjustably fastened on stud 20 collars 7 With the particular type of cutter roll shaft employed it will be noted that the use of self aligning ball bearings for permitting adjustment radial ball bearings. may be employed. Moreover the provision of such a shaft having concentric ends -fastened in the arms of the cutter roll frame assures rigidity thereof.

The construction; of thebinder transfer mechanismwhich forms the subject matter of my c0- pending application. Serial No, 243,799, filed December 3, 1938, is as follows: I I

The transfer head I4 is turned while advancing along path I6, to assumethe desired oblique position on the rolling apron ll of the rolling table I8, as indicated by the path I9 of the wrist pin 19 connecting the transfer head to the connecting rod 80 of bracket 83.

The binder transfer is mounted on a hollow column 56 adjustably secured to a bed (not shown) by screws 51 passing through elongated slots in the latter and fastening to the under side of the bed a bracket (not shown) having an upwardly extending hub portion (not shown) pro- ,jecting through an oval slot 6| in the bed into the base of column 56. Projecting from and free to turn in a bushing (not shown) in the .upper end of column 56'is a vertical tube 63 which 15 of its inclination isunnecessary and ordinary.

8| pivoted to a pin 82 fastened in a bracket 83 clamped to the end of the bushing 63 projecting from column 56. A sleeve (not shown) loosely mounted on the lower end of tube 63 has an arm 85 connected by a ball-headed pin 85 to the socket 98 of a connecting rod 99, the other end of the latter carrying a ball-and-socket joint I00 pivoted to a cam lever IIJI fulcrumed on shaft 33 and having a roller I02 in engagement with a track I03 of a cam I04 on shaft 49. Further description of the details of the binder transfer mechanism is deemed unnecessary as reference may be had to my above mentioned application Serial No. 243,799, for further details thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigar machine, the combination with 1 a movable support, of a frame yieldingly mountprojects downwardly through the hub of said 7 bracket into a bushing (not shown) connected to a suitable source of suction.

To the top'end of rtube 63 is clamped a hollow transfer arm I5, which at itsfree end carries a socket 69 to which the suction head I4 is clamped, the socket being free to turn on and secured on arm I5 by a bolt 10 having its head mounted in the ball bearing II and threaded into an internal lug of the socket 69. The perforated suction plate of suction'head I4 is made readily detachable for cleaning by providing it with slotted lugs engageable with the depressible cone head of a spring-pressed bolt I5 at one end and with a fixed flat head of a bolt 16 at the other. The socket has a crank extension 1 I engaging with a socket 19 at one end of a connecting rod 80, the other end of which has a socket ed on said support, a shaft having concentric ends locked in said frame, and having an intermediate relatively eccentric inclined portion and a cutting roll rotatably mounted on said intermediate portion in an inclined position, said shaft being rotatably adjustable in its frame relatively to said roll, to vary the inclination of the latter. I

2. In a cigar machine, the combination with a movable support, of a cutter roll provided with ball hearings in its ends, a shaft having concentric portions locked in said support and an intermediate relatively eccentric inclined portion whereon the ball bearings of said rolls are mounted to maintain the roll in an inclined position, said shaft being rotatably adjustable in said support relatively to said roll to vary the inclination of the roll.

3. In a cigar machine having a cutting die, the combination with a support movable to and fro along the cutting die, of a frame mounted on saidsupport at portion thereof intermediate its ends, said frame being provided with spaced arms, a shaft having cylindrical coaxial ends fastened in one end of said arms and an intermediate, cylindrical portion whose axis is inclined relatively to the axes of its ends, said arms being rigidly connected to each other at 

